Dubai: Indian football team head coach Stephen Constantine has stated that his team has the ability to qualify for the knock-out stage of the 2019 Asian Cup to be held at United Arab Emirates (UAE) after its draw was announced Friday night here. India were clubbed with hosts UAE, Thailand and Bahrain in Group A.
“I think it’s a group from where we can qualify to the knockout stage. I won’t say it’s an easy group but we have the ability to win against some of these teams and on our day, we can beat most of them,” Constantine said after the event. “All these teams will give us different kinds of problems and we have to be prepared before facing them.”
India qualified for the tournament after eight years finishing on top of Group A after registering wins against the likes of Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Macau in the qualification round.
The last time India participated in the continental tournament, in 2011, they were thrashed by South Korea, Australia and Bahrain, returning home bruised and battered after conceding a barrage of goals.
Meanwhile skipper Sunil Chhetri who was also present at drawing ceremony said, “The AFC Asian Cup is an enormous opportunity for us and we are looking forward to it. Back home in India, everyone is excited and we have the blessings of all the people and we will do our best.”
Chhetri also added that the Asian Cup gives them the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best of Asia and play against players who many of whom play in many a Premier League across Europe and other parts of the world.
“I was part of the national team in 2011 in Doha last time when we played in the Continental Championship. Qualifying to the Asian Cup for the second time in eight years is great for Indian football. It will be a learning experience for all the youngsters in the team and we aim to be competitive and give our best on the pitch,” Chhetri added.
Press trust of India
